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My blog will predominantly feature a selection of photographs and reports of recent wildlife photographic trips, mainly in the UK

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Bittern, Fishers Green, January 2023

A Red-Backed Shrike at Houghton Regis - 25th September 2024

9/26/2024

2 Comments

 
Luton is not the first place you think of for scarce birds, however a juvenile Red-Backed Shrike had been reported for a few days and I eventually managed to get up to Houghton Regis, just outside Luton to see it. The bird had been showing well previously but when I arrived there was no sign. It was re-located by Darrel Bryant after an hour or so on a hedgerow the other side of a stream. With wet feet, I managed to get some shots as it fed at quite close range.
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And a couple of shots where it had caught a Wasp or Bee.
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It then moved back to near the tarmac path which meant I had to cross the stream again! It was then quite mobile, but I had the opportunity for a few more shots.
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I did try for some flight shots but it was really quickly dropping down behind bushes for prey. This is the only one I got.
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Now sadly no longer a breeding bird in the UK so we just have to make do with a few passage birds each year. Great to have one fairly local. A wonderful couple of hours and good to see some familiar faces including Chris Sharp, James Reader and Dave Hutchinson. My boots are still drying out today!
2 Comments
Chris Sharp
9/26/2024 07:41:57 pm

nice write up Stuart and good to meet up with some familiar faces

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Martin F. Heyworth
10/1/2024 08:09:13 pm

These are compelling photographs. Taken in conjunction with small numbers of UK breeding records for this species published in annual reports by the Rare Breeding Bird Panel (RBBP) since the start of the present century, it is interesting to speculate that at least some juvenile red-backed shrikes in the UK might have originated in British nests (documented or undocumented). Proving that they did not might be difficult.

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